The Darkest Place

Hannah married Sean right out of high school. They were childhood sweethearts and she thought he was perfect. He was strong and smart and everyone liked him and he liked her. They were great together so it was no surprise when they married and moved into their own apartment. It wasn't too long into the marriage when life became boring. Sean still works for the same construction company and Hannah is still his house wife. She can't exactly remember when the arguing started. He was probably drunk on a Friday night after drinks with the boys at the local, she was bored and started nagging at him the moment he walked in the door and now it is just part of their routine. On the way to the library Hannah passed a quaint little café. It was small on the inside and always smelled great, they had a nice garden down the side where there were tables and chairs for diners to enjoy their meals outside. It was nothing fancy but was always filled to the brim at lunchtime. As she walked by something caught her eye. A sign in the window stating “Help wanted - enquire inside”. This got Hannah's attention and for the first time she wandered inside. Hannah waited patiently in line all the time looking around and taking it all in. The floors were wooden, the walls exposed brick with various pieces of art hanging in no particular order, big windows in the front and a side door leading out to the tables outside. There was music playing in the background, it seemed to be current music, the radio perhaps she thought. The tables were wooden with matching chairs and had a small vase in the centre with a coloured flower. Although the place seemed full of people it wasn't overly noisy. Hannah had a great feeling about this place and when she got to the front of the line she was just about bursting with excitement at the thought of working here. “Hi what can I get for you?” said a cheery young girl “I'm here about the help wanted sign in the window” Hannah replied trying to keep her enthusiasm in check “Hey cool, let me just go grab the manager for you, I'll just be a sec” and the young girl disappeared into the kitchen. A short moment later and older lady maybe in her mid-50's appeared with a welcoming smile “Hello I'm Lucy. Thank you for coming in. Please come and take a seat over here and let's have a chat” Lucy gestured to a small table in the corner and Hannah immediately felt relaxed. “So …” Lucy started and looked at Hannah with a questioning glance “Hannah” “So Hannah, please tell me a bit about yourself and why you would like to work here” Hannah sat up straight folded her hands together on the table and smiled at Lucy “Well I'm 32 and been a housewife all my life and I really think now is the time I did something for myself. I don't have any qualifications or experience but I can promise I will work really hard and I won't let you down if you give me a chance” Hannah blurted it all out in one breath. She didn't think about what she was going to say, it just sort of came out. Lucy sat back in the chair and smiled at Hannah. “I like you, you have enthusiasm and a friendly face. The job is Monday to Friday for the lunch shift, 3 hours a day maybe a little more just depending on the crowd. You would start by learning the till and getting orders to the kitchen and when you have got the menu under control you would rotate with the others waiting and clearing tables. How does that sound?” “Just perfect! I can't wait, when do you want me to start?” Lucy laughed “Come in a bit before opening on Monday and we will show you what you need to do and get your training started.” Lucy stood up and extended her hand to Hannah “Welcome to the team Hannah” Lucy took Hannah's hand in both of hers and held it just for a second “You will need a plain white t-shirt, black pants or skirt and comfy shoes, think you can manage that?” “Easy done and I will see you Monday” Hannah left the café on top of the world. This was to be her secret, no need to cause trouble by telling Sean as she already knew what he would say. He would forbid it as in his mind he was the man and the man was the income earner and she being the woman should be home looking after him. Hannah didn't understand why his mindset was stuck in the fifty's but it just was. She was convinced he needed to control her and keeping her at home was his way of staying in control. With a skip in her step she continued on her way.